Phil Brown

Philip Mortimer Brown, born on April 30, 1916 and passing away on February 9, 2006, was an American performer. He is known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker's paternal Owen Lars in the film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

Brown's professional acting began in the 1930s, and included both stage productions and motion pictures. During the 1950s, he was blacklisted as a result of the McCarthy era, even though he was never affiliated with the Communist Party. Due to these baseless accusations, he was unable to secure employment in Hollywood, leading him to move his family to England. There, he developed a flourishing career as an actor and director for the subsequent four decades.

George Lucas selected Brown for the part of Uncle Owen in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope after Brown responded to a U.K. casting call seeking actors who could perform convincing American accents.

Following his return to the U.S. in 1993, Brown gained popularity at conventions, such as Celebration II, where he had the opportunity to meet Joel Edgerton, who played Owen Lars in Episodes II and III. Due to declining health, he retired from both acting and directing, and ultimately succumbed to pneumonia in 2006 at the age of 89.